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CONTENTS

FIDE Presidents welcome letter.............................................................................................................1

Introduction by the FIDE Arbiters Commission Chairman ..................................................2
Time Controls in FIDE World Events......................................................................................................3
Anti cheating guidelines for Arbiters................................................................................................5
Incidents that happened during Tournaments:
a. Case from a National Youth Championship.....................................................................8
b. Case from an International Open Tournament .............................................................9
c. Case from the 2015 World Womens Team Chess Championship ...................9
d. Case from the 2015 World Amateur Chess Championship................................10
e. Case from the 2015 Dubai Open Tournament ............................................................10
f. Case from the 2015 USA Chess Championship .............................................................11

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FIDE Presidents welcome

Dear chess friends,

Every professional community has to have an open platform to discuss their
work-related issues and to share operational experience. Ever-growing and dynamic chess arbiters' society is no exception.
FIDE Arbiters' Commission has undertaken the task of publishing an online magazine for chess arbiters where the most actual problems of chess arbiters dayto-day professional life will be analyzed and the most perplexing cases will be
scrutinized.
The online format allows immediate response of the audience and favors vivid
discussions. I am convinced that this new magazine will be of great help for chess
arbiters around the world and wish it big success and active and competent
readers.
Gens Una Sumus!

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
FIDE President

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Introduction

Dear friends,
The FIDE Arbiters Commission has the pleasure to publish the first issue of the
Arbiters Magazine.
This publication is our attempt to offer to all the Arbiters around the world
the necessary knowledge and information, to enable them to exercise their duties in the best way.
The Magazine will include real incidents from the tournaments and respective
actions of the Arbiters, as well as decisions taken by the FIDE Congresses and
Presidential Boards in connection to the Arbiters. It will also contain any other
information that can be useful to the Arbiters.
Many thanks to the Arbiters Commission Editorial Subcommittee of IA Aris
Marghetis (CAN), Secretary of the FIDE Arbiters Commission, and IA Carlos Dias
(POR), Member of the FIDE Arbiters Commission, who collect the material for
publication in every issue of the Magazine and prepare it for publication.
The Arbiters Magazine will be published twice a year on the FIDE Arbiters
Commission website and will be available for printing to everybody.
You are welcome to send your comments, opinions and ideas, as well as any
incidents that have come to your knowledge and you believe are worth publishing.
Your assistance to our effort will be highly appreciated.

Athens, 30 June 2015

Takis Nikolopoulos
Chairman
FIDE Arbiters' Commission

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World Chess Federation FIDE Arbiters' Commission

TIME CONTROLS IN FIDE WORLD EVENTS

The following time controls have been approved by the 2015 Chengdu FIDE Presidential Board
for the following FIDE Events:
No

EVENT

1.

World Championship Match

2.

Candidates Tournament

3.

World Cup

4.

Grand Prix Tournaments

5.

Womens World Championship Match

6.

Chess Olympiad

7.

World Team Championship

8.

Womens World Team Championship

9.

Womens Grand Prix Tournaments

10. World Senior Championship

11. World Senior Team Championship
12. World Juniors and Girls U-20 Championship
13. Continental Individual Championships
14. Continental Team Championships
15. World Youth 14-16-18 Championships
16. World Cadets 08-10-12 Championships

TIME CONTROL

100/40+50/20+15/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
100/40+50/20+15/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
100/40+50/20+15/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
3

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FIDE ArbitersMagazine July 2015

No

EVENT

17. World Schools Individual Championships

18. World Schools Team Championships
19. World Amateur Championship
20. World Chess Olympiad U-16
21. World Rapid Championships
22. World Blitz Championships

TIME CONTROL

90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
90/40+30/end
with incr. 30/move, starting from move 1
15 /end
with incr. 10 per move, starting from
move 1

3 /end
with incr. 2 per move, starting from move
1

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World Chess Federation FIDE Arbiters' Commission

ANTI CHEATING GUIDELINES FOR ARBITERS

The following Anti cheating guidelines for the

Arbiters have been approved by the 2014 Sochi
FIDE Presidential Board and are in effect from 1
January 2015:
(These guidelines shall be included in the subjects
and will be taught in all Workshops, FIDE Arbiters
Seminars and Courses for International and FIDE Arbiters).
The FIDE Laws of Chess that have been in effect
from 1 July 2014 introduced new provisions against
cheating. Specifically:
12.2 The arbiter shall: (a) ensure fair play.
It means that it is the Arbiters duty to avoid the
cheating by the players.
The Laws also explicitly forbid electronic devices:
11.3.a During play players are forbidden to use any
notes, sources of information or advice, or analyze
any game on another chessboard
11.3.b During a game, a player is forbidden to
have a mobile phone, electronic means of communication or any device capable of suggesting chess
moves on their person in the playing venue. However,
the rules of the competition may allow such devices
to be stored in a players bag, as long as the device
is completely switched off. A player is forbidden to
carry a bag holding such a device, without permission
of the arbiter. If it is evident that a player has such a
device on their person in the playing venue, the player
shall lose the game. The opponent shall win. The
rules of a competition may specify a different, less severe, penalty. The arbiter may require the player to
allow his/her clothes, bags or other items to be inspected, in private. The arbiter or a person authorized
by the arbiter shall inspect the player and shall be of
the same gender as the player. If a player refuses to
cooperate with these obligations, the arbiter shall take
measures in accordance with Article 12.9.
Tournament organizers are also free to introduce
their own regulations and conditions for events, provided they are in accord with the Laws of Chess. Such
regulations may include that:
- Arbiters should remind players of the existence of
the new AC regulations.
- Organizers and arbiters are encouraged to carry
out regular screening tests via the FIDE Internetbased Game Screening Tool
- Integral application of Law 11.3.b. In case of
breach, the arbiter shall take measure in accordance with article 12.9.f and forfeit the player.
- Additional security in the form of ACC-certified
metal detectors/x-ray machines, scanners, electronic jamming devices, manned by qualified secu-

rity staff, subject to applicable restrictions in each

individual jurisdiction. Each tournament should
adopt at least one measures from the ones listed
in Annex D. The list is to be adjourned on a timeto-time basis by the ACC.
- Obligation to present the AC Form at least 4 weeks
before the start of the tournament (or as otherwise
specified in Paragraph 02 of the current FIDE Rating regulations).

Complaints
For these reasons during a tournament the arbiter
shall have a duty to record each and every allegation
of cheating by a FIDE-rated player meaning that players cannot informally tell an arbiter that they suspect
that another player is cheating. This also applies to
any other person having a FIDE Identity Number. All
cheating-related communications shall be duly
recorded by the arbiter and subsequently filed to the
ACC.

Part A: In-Tournament Complaints

Potential cheating incidents may be observed during play directly by a tournament arbiter. They can
also be reported to the arbiter by a player, a spectator
or, indeed, the ACC (e.g., based on statistical analysis
or on-site inspection).
If the report is based on possible breaches of Article 11.2 or 11.3a, then the arbiter shall investigate
the breach in the usual manner, with reference to Article 12.9 for possible penalties.
If the complaint is specifically about possible cheating, then the Chief Arbiter shall, in the first place, identify the complainant and invite him to fill out a
Complaint Form (Appendix A). The complainant shall
provide to the arbiter the reasons why the complaint
is being made, and shall sign the form on completion.
However, if the complainant is tense, the arbiter shall
record the name of the complainant and ask for his
signature, and only at a later time ask him to fill in the
form, but no later than the end of the round.
Upon receiving a complaint, the arbiter shall take
steps to investigate it, whenever possible in coordination with the ACC, using his/her judgment in how this
investigation is to be carried out. Any additional information that the arbiter gathers shall be added to the
report.
The report shall be forwarded to the FIDE Office at
the completion of the tournament, who shall pass it
on to the ACC. All information in the report shall remain confidential until an investigation is completed
by the ACC. In case of breach of privacy requirements
before the investigation is completed, the ACC re5

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serves the right to publicize the details of the investigation and shall refer all offenders to the Ethics Committee.
On completion of the investigation the ACC shall
issue an official report, explaining its process and decisions.
If the complaint is manifestly unfounded, the complainant can receive a warning by the ACC, whereupon his name will be added to a special Warning
data base maintained by the ACC. Upon receiving a
second warning within a period of six months, the
complainant shall be sanctioned (three months suspension for first violation, six months suspension for
second violation).

Part B: Post Tournament Complaint

Potential cheating may also be reported after a
tournament has been completed, based, for example,
on new findings (e.g. confessions, statistical evidence). In general, a Post Tournament Report should
be based on very substantial evidence, and complainants are required to illustrate their case in great
detail for the ACC to actually consider it. PTRs can be
filed only by interested parties such as players, Federations and chess officials. The ACC may also open
a case based on its own post-tournament findings.
Investigation of alleged cheating incidents shall be
started:
(i). By an in-tournament report from the Chief Arbiter/
Organizer of a tournament,
(ii). By a post-tournament report, or
(iii). As a result of self-originated investigation by the
ACC.
Each investigation will be carried out by an investigating Committee appointed by the ACC, known as
the Investigating Committee (IC). The IC shall be
formed on a case-to-case basis.

1. How players can cheat during the game

- An arbiter should know how a cheater typically
acts and which devices are used for cheating. Typically, a player can cheat by: i) accepting information
by another person (spectator, captain, co-player, etc.);
or ii) getting information from any source of information or communication (such as books, notes, etc., or
any electronic device). It the arbiters duty to take care
of situations that may yield suspicions of cheating during the entire duration of the round.
Often a cheater is using a mobile phone hidden in
a pocket. This is forbidden according to Art. 11.3.b of
the laws of chess. To find hidden mobile phones and
other electronic devices, the use of hand-held metal
detectors and other equipment (such as mobile phone
jammers, hand-held security metal detectors, walkthrough metal detectors, automatic electro -magnetic
6

screening devices for metallic/non-metallic items,

closed circuit cameras) is highly recommended in all
tournaments. Arbiters should exercise caution and
delicateness in asking for and carrying out a check
with hand-held metal detectors. If a metal detector
gives a signal it is important to clarify the reason, if
necessary by an inspection of the player and his belongings as described in Art. 11.3.b of the Laws of
Chess.

2. Which precautions can be taken to prevent

cheating
- The Arbiter must have a discreet control of the
players that are leaving the playing area very often,
for their contact with other players, spectators and
other persons, according to Article 12 of the Laws of
Chess.
- The arbiter should be aware that in some cases
a cheater gets information by a third party. The arbiter
should prevent any contact between players and
spectators such as talking and/or giving/receiving signals.
- The arbiter should never tolerate the use of chess
programs in the playing venue. In case he should detect a player or a spectator using a chess program in
the playing venue, he should immediately inform the
Chief Arbiter.
- Organizers are free to assign extra arbiters to the
specific task of preventing cheating.
- During a tournament, the arbiter is encouraged
to use the FIDE screening tool with games in pgn format, since that tool can identify cases needing further
attention, or more likely, show that a player is not to
be considered suspicious based on his or her games.
3. Screening games for precaution and information
- During a tournament, the arbiter is encouraged to
compile games in PGN format and submit them to the
FIDE screening tool. This is not a cheating test and
gives no statistical judgment, but its information is
useful to have beforehand in case any suspicions are
voiced or situations may be developing.
- In early rounds (such as 1-3 of a 9-game event)
there will always be outliers because the total number
of relevant moves is small, but any cheating player
will likely be among them.
- In middle rounds, honest outliers will tend to
regress to the mean, while records of some past
cases show no-sanctioned players having become
more obvious. Trials have shown it possible by this
time to be confident in the absence of statistical
ground for suspicion against any player.
- On the other hand, a persistent outlier may be
ground for contacting ACC, calling for a full statistical

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World Chess Federation FIDE Arbiters' Commission

test, and for unobtrusive actions such as increased
watchfulness of a player.
- The screening tool will provide tables with guidelines based on players ratings for gauging the magnitude of outliers. For instance, 67% matching is more
normal for 2700- players than for 2300. Again only
the full test can give any kind of judgment.

4. How to deal with suspicious behavior

- In case of a suspicious players behavior the Arbiter must always follow the player on his way out of
the playing venue (to the bar, toilets, smoking area
etc.), in order to avoid any contact of the player with
other persons and any use of sources of information
or communication.
- In multiple cases, there has been use of mobile
phones in the toilet. Therefore the arbiter should note
how often a player leaves the playing area and if this
is significant take appropriate measures trying to find
out the reason.

5. How to deal with the new Article 11.3 of the

Laws of Chess
- The arbiter may require the player to allow his
clothes, bags or other items to be inspected, in private. The arbiter, or a person authorized by the arbiter,
shall inspect the player and shall be of the same gender as the player.
- Usually the arbiter will inspect a player as described in Art. 11.3.b of the Laws of Chess only in
case of suspicion of cheating or after receiving an official In-Tournament complaint, but only if he comes
to the conclusion that the complaint is not evidently
unfounded. If he decides to make an inspection on
whatever grounds, he is not obliged to give the player
a special reason; however he should be calm, polite
and discreet. The inspection of a player should be carried out in a separate room by a person of the same
gender. Only this person, the player and one witness
(also of the same gender) may have access to this
room during the inspection. The player is entitled to
select a second witness of his own choice.
- If there is no matter of urgency, the inspection of
a player and his belongings should generally be carried out before or immediately after the end of the
game. Still, the arbiter should be aware that it is possible to hide the electronic devices somewhere in or
near to the playing venue as also to give them to a
third party shortly before the end of the game. The arbiter has also the right to check the player, who decided to leave the playing venue or upon request of a
player who filed an In-Tournament complaint, but only
once during the round.
- If a player refuses to be inspected it is advised
that the arbiter explains the rules to him. If the player

still refuses he shall get a warning. If he still refuses

to submit to an inspection he shall lose his game.
- If random inspections are considered, they must
be announced in the rules of the competition in advance.

6. How to deal with accusations

- The procedure how to deal with accusations is
described in the part of Complaints. If any FIDE-Identified person presents an accusation of cheating, the
arbiter should ask him/her to make an official In-Tournament complaint. In case of refusal, the arbiter shall
make a remark in the tournament report and annotate
the persons name as having presented a cheating accusation. In this case the accused player shall not be
informed by the arbiter. If the arbiter receives an InTournament complaint he can inform the accused
player after the end of his game and ask him for comment. - The arbiter should mention in his tournament
report any In-Tournament complaints and inspections,
if any, specifying the result of each action.
7. How to deal with false accusations.
- In case of a false accusation by a player the Arbiter shall penalize him according to the Article 12.2
of the laws of Chess.

The following technical equipment shall be adopted

by the Tournament Direction to contrast potential
cheaters in Top level tournaments. The actual equipment to be adopted shall be agreed between the ACC
and the Tournament Direction on a case-to-case
basis.
- Mobile phone jammers;
- Hand-held security metal detectors
- Walk-through metal detectors
- Automatic electro-magnetic screening devices for
metallic/non-metallic items
- Closed circuit cameras.
In most cases, a hand-held metal detector will
prove enough to secure that electronic devices are
not being carried into the playing venue, and should
thus always be considered as the first-choice device.
The actual equipment to be adopted shall be agreed
between the ACC and the Tournament Direction on a
case-to-case basis.
FIDE Internet-based Game Screening Tool
The Commission recommends the implementation
of a FIDE Internet-based Game Screening Tool for
pre-scanning games and identifying potential instances of cheating, together with the adoption of a
full-testing procedure in cases of complaints. Together
they shall meet the highest academic and judicial
standards, in that they have been subject to publica7

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FIDE ArbitersMagazine July 2015

tion and peer review, have a limited and documented
error rate, have undergone vast empirical testing, are
continuously maintained, and are generally accepted
by the scientific community. Once in place, the Internet-based Game Screening Tool will be accessible to
arbiters and chess officials and will be a useful instrument to prevent fraud, while the full test procedure will
adhere to greater privacy as managed by FIDE and
ACC.

The FIDE Internet-Based Game Screening Tool

FIDE will supply organizers and arbiters with an Internet-based Game Screening Tool that will be accessible to all authorized FIDE officials (IO, IA, ACC
members) and National Federations. The Internetbased Game Screening Tool shall be hosted on a

FIDE-dedicated webpage and will enable authorized

parties to upload games in pgn format for a fast test
that will identify potential outliers in the tournament
i.e. players whose performance is far above their expected level and potentially compatible with computer-assisted play.
The results of the fast test are to be kept confidential and are only meant to assist the Chief Arbiter
in identifying cases that may call for further measures
to assure that players are ad- hering to the rules. If requested, the ACC shall provide assistance to the
Chief Arbiter in determining such measures. It should
be reminded that only a full test can confer reliable
statistical evidence on whether the outlier is receiving
external help, so that the results of the fast test are
not applicable for judgments of complaints.

INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED DURING TOURNAMENTS.

A. The following case has happened during a Youth Chess Championship:

The game was played according to G5 (see Laws of Chess, Appendix G ) of the quickplay finish.
The player with the black pieces, having the move, has less than two minutes left on his clock. He
claimed a draw before his flag falls. He called the arbiter and stopped the chess clock. He claimed on
the basis that his opponent cannot win by normal means once he will play Kg7, Kh8, etc.

What should the arbiter decide?

The relevant Article of the laws of Chess says:

G.5 If Article G.4 does not apply and the player having the move has less than two minutes left on his

clock, he may claim a draw before his flag falls. He shall summon the arbiter and may stop the chess
clock (see Article 6.12 b). He may claim on the basis that his opponent cannot win by normal means,
and/or that his opponent has been making no effort to win by normal means
a. If the arbiter agrees that the opponent cannot win by normal means, or that the opponent has been
making no effort to win the game by normal means, he shall declare the game drawn. Otherwise he
shall postpone his decision or reject the claim.
b. If the arbiter postpones his decision, the opponent may be awarded two extra minutes and the game
shall continue, if possible, in the presence of an arbiter. The arbiter shall declare the final result later
in the game or as soon as possible after the flag of either player has fallen. He shall declare the game
8

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World Chess Federation FIDE Arbiters' Commission

drawn if he agrees that the opponent of the player whose flag has fallen cannot win by normal means,
or that he was not making sufficient attempts to win by normal means.
c. If the arbiter has rejected the claim, the opponent shall be awarded two extra minutes.

a. Wrong decision
Declare that is a draw its a wrong decision because white may wins.

c. Wrong decision
Reject the claim its a wrong decision because its the same as to tell to the player with white
pieces that he can win that game
b. Correct decision
The arbiter must postpone his decision and let the game continue under his (or one of his Assistants) presence.

B. The following case has happened during an

International Open Chess Tournament:

The position below appeared after the player

with white pieces made the move Nxc7. Immediately after he made that move his flag fell. The
player with the black pieces claimed the win.
What should be the Arbiters decision regarding the result?

It is a case of a draw, since the opponent of the

player whose flag fell (white) cannot give a checkmate by any series of legal moves, as there is a
forced continuation where white makes a check
mate!
1. Nc7+, RXc7+, 2. NXc7+, RXc7+, 3. KXc7+,
check mate !
The relevant Article of the laws of Chess says:
6.9 Except where one of Articles 5.1.a, 5.1.b,
5.2.a, 5.2.b, 5.2.c applies, if a player does not
complete the prescribed number of moves in the
allotted time, the game is lost by that player. However, the game is drawn if the position is such that
the opponent cannot checkmate the players king
by any possible series of legal moves.

The Arbiter had to declare the game as a draw

C. The following case has happened during the

2015 World Womens Team Chess Championship,
where the time control is 90 min/40 moves + 30
min/end, with 30 sec increment starting from
move one.

In a game of the first round both players are in

time trouble in the first period. The arbiter is
watching the game in the next board, where there
is also a time trouble. Black's flag fell after the
player made her 32nd move. The position was the
following:

The player called the Arbiter and insisted that

she had made her 32nd move and had pressed
her clock but the flag fell and insisted that the
clock was defected. The Arbiter immediately
checked the clock and found that it was working
properly (the move counter was recording the
number of the moves correctly).
The black player was insisting that she had
pressed the clock properly and that the clock had
the problem. The Captain of the player's team arrived and the arbiter demonstrated once more in
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front of him and both players that the clock was
working properly and was not defected.
Then the Arbiter based on the Article 6.10.a of
the Laws of Chess which says:
6.10.a
Every indication given by the chess clock is considered to be conclusive in the absence of any
evident defect.

The arbiters decision was correct.

The arbiter did well showing and demonstrating
to the players and the captain that the clock was
working properly.
D. The following case has happened during the
2015 World Amateur Chess Championship, where
the time control is 90 min/40 moves + 30 min/end,
with 30 sec increment starting from move one.

The Arbiter is passing by the tables in the playing hall and sees that in one game the black
player's flag has fallen. She stops the game immediately and checks the score sheets. Both players have recorded 42 moves. She checks the
move counter of the clock and finds that it shows
39 moves. The player with the white pieces says
that the flag really fell on move 39 and claims a
win. The player with the black pieces disagrees.
The Arbiter explains to the player with the white
pieces that she cannot base any decision on his
witness and applies article 6.8 of the Laws of
Chess, setting the clocks on move 42 and adding
30 minutes to both players, asking them to continue the game. The white player calls the Chief
Arbiter who agrees with the decision of the Arbiter
and the game continues. The white player lost the
game and made an appeal against the decision of
the Arbiters. The Appeals Committee after a short
discussion unanimous rejected the appeal and
didn't change the result of the game, accepting
the decision of the Arbiters as correct.
The decision of the Arbiter and the Appeals Committee afterwards were correct.
Article 6.8 of the Laws of Chess says:

6.8 A flag is considered to have fallen when the

Arbiter observes the fact or when either player
has made a valid claim to that effect
10

The Arbiter observed the fact on move 42, so

correctly decided the game to be continued.
None of the players made any relative claim for
the flag fall.
The player should have made a claim for flag
fall on move 39. Then he should win the game.
When he claimed it on move 42 it was not possible the claim to be accepted.

However in any case the Arbiter (or his Assistant) should have been close to the board and
control the game, since the players were in time
trouble (even if the time control was with increment and both players were obliged to record
their moves). In this way he would have avoided
the incident, because he had to call the flag fall
immediately.
E. The following case has happened during the
2015 Dubai Open Chess Championship.

According to the Chief Arbiters IA Mahdi Abdulrahim report:

The tournament was a 9-round Swiss System, with
150 participants from 39 federations.
During the 6th round of the tournament the Chief
Arbiter got a question and claim from GM Tigran Petrosian (ARM) that his opponent GM Gaioz Nigalidze
(GEO) was leaving the tournament hall several times
during their game.
So there was aroused a suspicion that the Georgian player was getting help from somewhere, as GM
Petrosian noticed that the Georgian was going very
frequent to the toilet after each move during a crucial
part of the game.
The Chief Arbiter considered the claim and followed the player to the Toilet. He went into the same
toilet and he was waiting more than six minutes. Nigalidze came out and he closed the bathroom door
after leaving it, and then when the Chief Arbiter asked
for inspection of his clothes, he agreed, but he embarrassed at the same time. The Chief Arbiter
checked him but he did not find any device with him.
After a while the Arbiter was suspected that the
player was always using the same cubicle no (2).
Then he returned to the toilet and when he checked
the cubicle, he found an IPOD and a headset hidden
behind the pan and covered with toilet paper.
When confronted, Nigalidze denied he owned the
device, but the Chief Arbiter and the Tournament director Mr. Yahya Saleh opened the electronic device
(IPOD) and found that it was logged into a social networking site and he was using stock fish engine with

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World Chess Federation FIDE Arbiters' Commission

some analyze of his game until move 23. Cheating
was obvious.
The Chief Arbiter in consultation with the Organizer
of the Tournament gave GM Petrosian the win and removed GM Nigalidze from the tournament.
The decision taken was:

Article 11.3.b says:

b. During play, a player is forbidden to have a

mobile phone and/or other electronic means of
communication in the playing venue. If it is evident that a player brought such a device into the
playing venue, he shall lose the game. The opponent shall win.
The rules of a competition may specify a different, less severe, penalty.
The arbiter may require the player to allow his
clothes, bags or other items to be inspected, in
private. The arbiter or a person authorized by
the arbiter shall inspect the player and shall be
of the same gender as the player. If a player refuses to cooperate with these obligations, the
arbiter shall take measures in accordance with
Article 12.9.
The Chief Arbiter correctly considered the
players claim and checked the player who was
going very often to the toilet. He was clever
enough to check the toilet as well, as soon as
he found nothing after searching the player. The
penalty he applied was according to the Article
12.9 of the Laws of Chess.

GM Gaioz Nigalidze (GEO) was banned from

17th Dubai Open 2015 because of cheating. He
was caught by consulting a device hidden in one
of the toilet cubicles of the Dubai Chess and Culture Club during his sixth-round encounter with
GM Tigran Petrosian (ARM).

F. The following case has happened during the

2015 USA Chess Championship.

In the 9th round of the event GM Wesley So

(PHI) was forfeited in his game against GM
Varuzhan Akobian (USA) by the Chief Arbiter, because he was using notes.
Actually he had written on a paper that he had
put under his score sheet the phrases Double
check and triple check and Use your time. GM
Akobian complained to the Chief Arbiter that this
was distracted for him.
The same had happened in the 1st round, when
So had written on his score sheet the phrase:
Use your time, you have a lot of it and in 2nd
round: Sit down for the entire game, never get
up.
The Chief Arbiter had warned GM So after the
1st round and he gave him a second warning in
3rd round, informing him that if he will do it for a
third time, he would forfeit him. Therefore he forfeited him in the 9th round and gave the win to GM
Akobian.
Wesley So declared that he had concentrating
troubles and by writing such advices to himself
he was trying to solve his problem.
According to the Laws of Chess:

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FIDE ArbitersMagazine July 2015

8.1.b. The score sheet shall be used only for
recording the moves, the times of the clocks,
offer of a draw, matters relating to a claim and
other relevant data.
11.3.a. During play the players are forbidden to
use any notes, sources of information or advice,
or analyze any game on another chessboard.
11.5. It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any matter whatsoever.
11.7. Persistent refusal by a player to comply
with the Laws of Chess shall be penalized by
loss of the game. The Arbiter shall decide the
score of the opponent.

12

The Chief Arbiter had the right to take such a

decision to forfeit GM Wesley So in his game
against GM Varuzhan Akobian as: (a) he had
warned him twice and he had informed him that
he would forfeited him in case he would repeated it for a third time and (b) his opponent
complained that he was distracted by Sos action.
In general the Chief Arbiter of an event has to
be very careful when applying the penalty of the
forfeiture for a player. He has to do it if it is the
only solution to the problem that was raised and
only if it is according to the Laws of Chess.

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The cover page photos are courtesy of IA E. Saltamara (GRE),

who also compiled the edition.